As rain water travels off rooftops, down driveways, along roads and through parking lots, it collects pollutants that are carried into our streams and bays.
What can you do to help keep it off the streets? Plant a rain garden!
Rain gardens keep rain where it falls.and keep it off the streets!
Our Inland Bays, including our fishing waters and bathing beaches, are fouled when rainwater and snow melt wash over city streets, parking lots, and suburban lawns and pick up pollutants like gas and oil, salt, fertilizer, pesticides, pet waste, disease-causing organisms, sediment and trash. This problem is called stormwater pollution.
A single house with a 1,000 sq. ft. roof yields 600 gallons of water from a 1 rainstorm.
Studies have shown that stormwater is a major source of pollution in our streams, ponds and bays. Rain gardens help prevent flooding in communities by reducing stream flow and storm drain overflow Keep pollutants out of our water Provide habitat for native birds, butterflies and other beneficial insects Re-charge groundwater
Rain gardens absorb 30% more water than the same size area of lawn!
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Choose a Location
The goal of a rain garden is to collect water that is running off your property. Rain gardens can be small and informal or large and complex. If you have wet patches or areas that pond on your property, those areas are already collecting water. You may want to plant some shrubs and trees in those areas to improve water absorption, but choose a different site for your rain garden. Select a place where you can direct water into it from a downspout, driveway runoff or other paved area through a pipe, rock-filled ditch or swale. Choose a fairly level location. Find a big enough areafree of big tree roots or utilities. Position your rain garden at least 10 feet away from building foundations, underground utilities, and septic system drainfields. If youre not sure about the location of utilities on your property Call before you dig! Miss Utility of Delmarva at 800-282-8555.
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rain garden
roof and lawn drainage area to back rain garden roof drainage area to front rain garden
close to downspout
rain garden
6. Begin Construction
Lay out a rope or garden hose in the shape desired as a guide for digging. Loosen and amend the soil. You may need to remove some soil to maintain the concave, saucer shape. On a slope, the soil from digging may be used to create a berm on the downhill side. The depth of the depression may vary from 48. For best infiltration, the bottom of the garden should be level. Use splash rocks to keep soil from washing away near the downspout or swale where the water is entering the rain garden. Group the plants together for the most impact, and estimate one small plant per square foot. You can use natural mulch to discourage weeds and add nutrients.
Maintenance
Like any new planting, the rain garden will need frequent watering for the first few weeks until the plants are established. Rain gardens are low-maintenance. Once established, they require no fertilizer, watering, or mowing. At the end of the growing season, you can leave the seed heads and stems for winter interest, cover for wildlife and food for birds. In spring when the new growth emerges, cut back dead vegetation, prune plants that are too big, and remove any invasive species. Re-mulch if needed.
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species name
common name
shade tolerance
Height
Water tolerance
Acorus americanus Aquilegia canadensis Asclepias incarnata Aster novi-belgii Carex stricta Eupatorium dubium Eupatorium perfoliatum Iris versicolor Lobelia cardinalis Mimulus ringens Onoclea sensibilis Osmunda cinnamomea Osmunda regalis Panicum virgatum Rudbeckia hirta Scirpus cyperinus Scirpus fluviatilis Scirpus tabernaemontani Sisyrinchium angustifolium Solidago sempervirens Verbena hastata Vernonia noveboracensis Aronia melanocarpa Cephalanthus occidentalis Clethra alnifolia Cornus sericea Ilex verticillata Lindera benzoin Magnolia virginiana Morella cerifera Sambucus canadensis Viburnum dentatum Acer rubrum Betula nigra Chamaecyparis thyoides Ilex opaca Taxodium distichum
sweet flag Red columbine swamp milkweed New York aster tussock sedge joe-pye weed boneset blue flag cardinal flower monkey flower sensitive fern cinnamon fern royal fern switch grass Black-eyed Susan woolgrass river bulrush soft stem bulrush blue-eyed grass Seaside goldenrod blue vervain New York ironweed black chokeberry buttonbush sweet pepperbush redosier dogwood winterberry spicebush sweet bay magnolia wax myrtle elderberry arrowwood Red Maple river birch Atlantic White Cedar American Holly bald cypress
HERBACEOUS PLANTS 23 RI (0- 6) 13 II, U up to 6 SI 13 II, U 24 RI 25 SI, U 25 II, U 13 RI (0- 6) up to 5 II, U 1.54 SI, RI up to 3.5 RI, PI up to 5 SI, RI up to 6 II, PI 24 II, U 13 II, U 45 SI 27 RI (0- 6) 610 PI (0- 12) 420 II, U 34 II up to 5 II 37 SI SHRUBS 612 II, SI 612 PI (0- 12) 612 SI, RI 612 SI 612 SI 612 SI 1220 SI, RI (0- 3) 615 II 612 SI 612 SI TREES 75100 SI 5075 SI 4050 II, PI 60 II, SI 75100 RI, PI
The plant list is provided by Environmental Concern and are all native to the Mid-Atlantic area. These plants are recommended for rain gardens based on their water tolerance. www.wetland.org
attracts
Flowering Period Apr. - May Apr. - July June - Aug. July - Oct. May - Aug. July - Sept. July - Oct. May - June July - Oct. June - Oct. June - Oct. Apr. - May Apr. - June July - Oct. June - Oct. Aug. - Sept. June - Sept. June - Sept. May - June July - Nov. June - Oct. Aug. - Sept. Apr. - May July - Aug. July - Aug. May - June June - July Mar. - May May - July Mar.- June June - July May - June Mar. - Apr. Apr. - May Mar. - Apr. May - June Mar. - Apr.
color
Fall/Winter
H P, B P, B S S, P, B S, P, B S, M, W P, B, H S, M S, M S, M S, M, W S, P, B M, W
B, P, S, M P, S, M, W P S, M P, B, M, W P, B, M, W, S S, W, M S, W, M S, M, P B, S, M S S, M S, M S, M S S W
green spathe red pink violet reddish purple purple white blue red pink, blue yellow reddish green green yellow brown green green blue yellow violet purple white, pink white white, pink white greenish white yellow white yellowish green white white Red dark brown red berry deep purple
fall seedpod
late flowers
= Requires Full Sun = Tolerates Partial Shade = Full Shade to Full Sun
Water tolerance Key SI = Season Inundation II = Irregular Inundation U = Upland RI = Regular Inundation PI = Permanent Inundation attracts Key B = Beneficial insects H = Hummingbirds M = Mammals P = Pollinators S = Songbirds
fall berry persistent seeds yellow fall color red bark red winter berry yellow fall color semi-evergreen evergreen
W = Waterfowl
Rain Gardens: A How-to Manual for Homeowners http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/home.rgmanual.pdf Rain Garden Manual for Homeowners www.delawareswcd.org/index.php/water-qualitystormwater/rain-gardenmanual-for-homeowners Rainscaping with Rain Gardens www.chesapeakeecologycenter.org/images/CECGardenBooklet_websm.pdf Plants for a Liveable Delaware http://ag.udel.edu/extension/horticulture/pdf/PLD.pdf Liveable Plants for the Home Landscape (DE) http://ag.udel.edu/extension/horticulture/pdf/lowres18spreads.pdf 5 Easy Steps to Make a Rain Barrel http://ag.udel.edu/extension/horticulture/pdf/Appoq%20RainBarrel%20 Brochure.pdf
For more links and local sources of native plants go to our website at www.inlandbays.org.
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Websites: The Low Impact Development Center www.lowimpactdevelopment.org/raingarden_design/whatisaraingarden.htm Wiki Howto create a rain garden www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Rain-Garden The Rain Garden Network www.raingardennetwork.com Rain Gardens in Delaware http://ag.udel.edu/extension/horticulture/raingarden/
Cephalanthus occidentalis buttonbush
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our Partners: US EPA Region 3 Office of State and Watershed Partnerships, Water Protection Division DE Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Non Point Source Program DE Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Watershed Assessment Division Sussex County Conservation District
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays 39375 Inlet Road, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 302-226-8105 www.inlandbays.org